Lessons in life
by Juneisnotmyname
Summary: When Haley is forced to move and start a new life at a boarding school she is devastated. But is really Highwater Boarding school all that bad? Suddenly Haley is trapped in more dramas and love triangles than she ever could dream of. A very different Naley story with other *secret* pairings. My first fic so please read and review.
1. First day in a brand new world

**Lesson #1 **

**Do not fight with your destiny...or with your parents.**

How could her parents do something like this? That was the thought that constantly rushed through Haley's head. She looked outside the car window and sighed. This silent treatment she was giving her parents was exhausting and she was more than bored. But they deserved it. Just thinking about it made her blood boil. They were sending her to _boarding school_.

" Honey, please talk to us?" Jimmy James pleaded whilst tapping the steering wheel impatiently. Her mother nodded and turned around in the passengers seat so that she could face her stubborn daughter.

" We are only doing this for you, baby girl." Lydia said with a small smile.

Haley looked like her head was about to explode.

" YOU are doing this for _me_?" Haley scoffed.

" Well we are never home anyway because of work and we don't want you to be lonely, sweetie, is it so hard to understand?" Lydia said and put a reassuring hand on Jimmy's shoulder.

" Yes it is. I can manage all by myself, and besides I like it that way. I am mature enough to live partly on my own _in Tree Hill. _Not in some snobby, snotty and horrible boarding school full of bitchy cheerleaders and jocks. I'm not going to fit in there, I am not bitchy and not bendable."

" You sure now how to ramble dear, but _bendable_?" Lydia raised her eyebrow and Jimmy chuckled.

Haley blushed.

" Not like that and ew. Cheerleaders are bendable…so that they can do the formations and stuff." Haley shook her head.

" Oh right, you know your mother here is a very _bendable _former cheerleader." Jimmy said and wriggled his eyebrows seductively.

" That is just nasty." Haley said but couldn't help but smile.

She liked her parents, she really did. But they worked too much and sometimes it was quite lonely when she was alone in their big house back in Tree Hill. But in a boarding school she would be a social outcast. When she had looked at the leaflet it was full of pictures of girly girls walking around the schools very green park giggling. Haley was not a girly girl who walked around the parks with her girlfriends. Haley mainly had guy friends and she liked it that way. Makeup and shopping was not her idea of a good time.

She thought about the guys on the rivercourt and smiled. Just last week they had taped Mouth to a chair and used him as a bowling ball. She could bet a hundred dollars that no girl on Highwater Boarding School did that with her friends. She sighed, it was going to be a long two years at Highwater.

" Sweetie, wake up" Jimmy said quietly and shook her shoulder.

" What, where am I, is there homework I forgot to do?" Haley snapped her eyes open.

" You, sweetie, are a nerd." Lydia said and smiled.

" We are here"

Haley quickly jumped from her seat and bumped her head in the car roof.

" Ow, my head. Wait we are here? There is no turning back? I am going to rot in this place. This is just _great_." Haley said with a panicked expression.

" Calm down, let's go" Jimmy said and gave her a quick smile.

Haley looked around. Gosh it was beautiful, she thought and smiled. The main building was big and looked almost like a castle with big detailed windows and ivy that climbed on the walls. The grass was almost too green and juicy and she suddenly understood the" No walking permitted on the lawn" sign that stood right beside her. Her parents also looked more than impressed. Okay, she thought and inhaled sharply, lets do this.


	2. James Haley

**Authors Note:**

Hello dudes. Thanks for reading. I am sort of just setting up the mood, but soon the real drama will begin and I will introduce a couple more important and very familiar characters plus some backstory about Haley and her parents etc. I hope you will be patient with me since this is my first fic.

And if you enjoy the story so far, please review. Even if you don't enjoy it just please let me know so that I can feel the motivation to continue (even though I've written a couple of chapters and have the entire plot mapped out) or if I should just drop it.

Thanks a bunch ;)

And obviously I do not own One Tree Hill because I was like seven when it started. Which would have been cool if I was behind it, but nope.

**Lesson # 2**

**Sometimes Dark Lords are redheaded beautiful cheerleaders.**

"What do you mean? How can this be happening?" Haley stood and glared at the receptionist. The receptionist shook her head slowly and gave Haley an apologetic smile.

" I am so sorry Ms. James but we accidentally registered you as a boy, we are very sorry for the inconvenience but I think you have to go pick up your luggage at the boys dorm."

Her parents started chuckling behind her and Haley shot them a death glare. She knew that something like this would happen. Highwater thought that she was a guy. That was just _peachy_.

" So when the teacher calls me up in class he will think my first name is James and second name is Haley…and also that I am a GUY?" The receptionist was starting to feel really uncomfortable. This girl was seriously feisty.

" As I said Ms. James we are sorry, and we have already assigned you a new room. All you have to do is go pick your luggage up and forget that this ever happened. Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah I guess so." She mumbled.

" So sweetie, it is time for us to go now." Jimmy said and gave Haley a big hug.

" Already?" Haley pouted. She could feel herself tearing up.

Lydia gave Haley a hug and a kiss on the forehead. Haley could see some of the other kids glancing at her direction, eager to see if she was crying or not. So she took a deep breath and blinked the tears away.

" I think so. Love you lots and we'll see you soon." Lydia said with a shaky voice. She wiped away a few tears.

"Love you too." Haley said quietly.

A couple minutes later and Haley was completely and utterly lost. This campus was like a labyrinth and it didn't help that the map she got was useless. She wiped some tears away and continued her walk towards another house, which she hoped was Logan Dorm, the boy's dorm so that she could finally get her luggage. She glanced at the girls that walked past her. They all looked so tall and beautiful, with bouncing blonde ponytails and perfectly sculpted bodies hidden under their preppy yet chic school uniform. Haley had never felt more like a troll, with her cargo pants and Malibu printed t-shirt. Usually Haley didn't care about what others thought, but for the first time in her life she was completely alone and knew no one. She felt tears rising up again and held her breath.

" Lost?" She glanced up and saw a blond boy with baby blue eyes smiling friendly at her. He was dressed in the uniform but managed to still look relaxed and nice.

" On a scale on to ten I would say 200, I have seriously no clue where I am." She gave herself a mental note to stop rambling and gave him a small smile.

To her relief he chuckled.

" I'm Lucas and on my first day I accidentally got lost in the forest, _the forest _that is located half a mile from here." He smiled and squinted his eyes.

" Oh that made me feel a whole lot better actually, I'm Haley and I'm transferring from Tree Hill." She liked him. He seemed nice and didn't glare at her like the other students she had seen so far.

" Oh I'm from Charlotte, but Tree Hill is nice. Where are you going to Gloria or Marianne?

" Um, Logan actually, it is kind of embarrassing but they had registered me as a boy named James Haley instead of Haley James. So I kind of need to pick up my luggage at the boy's dorm." She blushed.

" Oh trying to get a glimpse of the boys are you? Haley James the man eater." He chuckled.

" Shut up, Pucas" She said and laughed. She definitely liked him.

" Hey, not cool James. I can walk you there, it is actually my dorm and therefore the best in Highwater" He said and laughed at Haley's glare.

" Do not call me James, Pucas."

" Hales? Is that okay?" He said as they started walking towards the old red brick building that was Logan.

" Perfect, Luke." Haley gave him a genuine smile and felt somewhat relieved. She had made a friend on her first day. Something just felt right about Lucas. She took a deep breath and felt the fresh air fill her lungs. Maybe Highwater wasn't _that bad._

" This is officially a nightmare." Haley sighed. All of the guys were staring at her as she walked next to Luke in the hall of Logan. She knew that girls weren't allowed at the dorms after six but she thought that she had a good excuse.

" It is not that bad, they are just curious." Lucas said and gave her small smile.

" Yo, Luke, who is that hot chick?" She could here someone shout and she instantly felt herself blush. Suddenly she saw her luggage, in the middle of the hall. She quickly rushed there.

" Haley, dude. She got transferred." Lucas shouted back.

She finally reached her luggage and couldn't wait to bring it back to her new room. Then she saw a guy approaching her. He was tall and handsome with black hair and blue eyes. She gulped. He looked at her intently.

" So this is James Haley? I checked the luggage earlier." He smirked.

" Oh Hales this is Nathan my jackass brother." Lucas said and gave Nathan a look that Haley couldn't read. Nathans smile widened.

" He is also known as the hottest guy on campus." Nathan said and smirked again.

" Okay that's great for you I guess. I am just going to take my luggage now, see ya later Luke." And with those words she rushed out of there, leaving behind a stunned group of boys.

When she finally found her new dorm she could feel butterflies in her stomach. Or more like giant butterflies. She was going to meet her roommate for the first time. She had always wanted a good girlfriend. She bit her lip and pulled her large suitcases to the door. Number 301. She had a good feeling about this and she knocked on the red door.

" Hello?" A beautiful redheaded girl said and looked at Haley disapprovingly. She was dressed in a Juicy Couture sweatshirt and pants that hugged her perfect body. Her shiny red hair cascaded down her shoulders. Haley took a deep breath.

" Hi I am Haley, your new roommate." She smiled nervously.

" I am Rachel. So you are the little girl that decided to transfer midterm huh? Well you sure are lucky that school uniform is mandatory, cause you clearly lack in the style department." Rachel snorted and walked into the room.

Haley kinked her eyebrow. Was her new roommate a total bitch?


	3. Fighter Girl

Authors Note:

Yep a new short chapter. Next will contain NALEY. And some more interaction between the core 5. And we can't forget about Rachel.

Be prepared ;)

Please read and review and be patient. I have a lot planned.

I am sorry if the chapters are short. The next is much longer.

Thanks.

**Lesson # 3**

**Sometimes life's a bitch**

Haley had never been this angry. Normally she was this levelheaded smart and respectful girl who always wanted the best for everyone. But now she was this close to strangling her roommate with the thong that Rachel had thrown casually on the floor.

Rachel was Satan. Haley was sure of it now, after seeing how little space she got in the room that they _shared. _She hated Highwater and she missed Tree Hill more than she ever could have imagined. She missed her house and garden and her friends that were _nice _and not bitchy and cold. She could feel herself tearing up.

" You should get some beauty sleep, cause trust me you need it." Rachel said when she entered the room in her pyjamas.

" Oh shut up already, I am tired of your snide and cruel comments. I've been here less than an hour and you're picking on me like I am your worst enemy. Can't we just be friends?" Haley said with a tired voice. Rachel looked at her surprised, like she didn't expect that Haley would have anything against the fact that Rachel was mean to her.

" Um excuse me, miss goody two shoes, but you come her in the middle of the semester, messing up my dream of not having to share a room and you are clearly a nerd. Possibly even a poor nerd. And I _hate _poor nerds." Rachel crept under the covers and glared at Haley.

" You are such a bitch." Haley said and was stunned by her own words.

Rachel gasped.

" You are so screwed Haley James, so screwed. I run this school, I am the hottest girl here and no one, no one calls me a bitch in front of my face."  
" Well I am positive they do it behind your back." Haley chuckled. She didn't care about Rachel's threats, she just wanted her to shut up. Haley knew what she could take and she didn't tolerate this bullshit.

" Looks like you just committed social suicide." Rachel snorted.

" Looks like you are a skanky ho." Haley said with a smirk. Now it was to late to look back. Suddenly Rachel jumped her.

" Bitch stop pulling my hair, crazy stupid ho." Rachel screamed when Haley grabbed her hair. Rachel gave Haley a bitchslap.

" Oh no you didn't." Haley said and narrowed her eyes. Game on.

_Next day._

" Haley James. Transferred her yesterday and you have already been in one fight." The principal said and gave her a tired look.

" I am so sorry sir, I didn't mean to…"

" Please, ms. James, enough with the apologies. I am just surprised and very disappointed. A straight A student like you? You could get expelled for this."

Haley's heart sunk. Expelled. That was the worst thing that could ever happen. She could feel herself panic.

" If I could just explain, Sir, I swear…"

" Ms. James. Lucky for you I am a very nice principal who knows how horrible Ms. Gatina is. But you have detention for 2 weeks. Here at Highwater discipline is key. This is the first and last time I ever want to have this talk with you. Understood." He gave her a small smile. Haley felt relieved. More than relieved. She wanted to do her happy-dance. She quickly pushed those thoughts aside.

" Thank you so much, oh my god, I will never ever fight with anyone ever again." She said with a serious look and he chuckled.

" That sounds great. However we now have a small problem. You still need to share a room with Ms. Gatina until the end of the week. Then you will move to room 308 and live with Ms. Sawyer and Ms. Davis. No more fistfights this week. Just give each other the silent treatment like mature adults." He said and gave her a pointed look.

" I promise." She smiled.

Haley was walking to class and tried not to care about all the people that stared at her. She was accepting her fate as being the new weird girl who already had fought with her roommate. Then Haley saw a brown haired girl walking towards her with a gigantic, dimpled grin.

" You are exactly the girl I wanted to meet. You gave Icequeen Rachel a black eye, which means you are my new second best friend." The girl squealed and gave Haley a hug. Haley looked more than confused. The girl in front of her was beautiful, with dimples and happy eyes.

" I am Brooke by the way and you are going to love me. Just like the rest of this school." Brooke laughed.

" Oh cool, I guess. I am Haley and apparently your new second best friend." Haley said awkwardly.

" Oh oh you need to meet P. Sawyer. She already loves you too. We volunteered to have you as our roommate. Did I mention how awesome it was that you gave Bitchy a black eye. Everybody is talking about it. You are the big buzz." She said and linked arms with Haley.

" That is just great. Just what I wanted." Haley said sarcastically.

" I know right. So exciting." Brooke squealed again. Haley chuckled. This girl was something.

" So what class do you have now?" Haley asked.

" Oh boring English, you? Oh you so need to eat lunch at our table, even though Rachel is there." Brooke said and gave Haley a wink.

" I have English too." Haley felt relieved. At least she knew someone in her first class.

" See, we are meant to be Fighter Girl." Brooke clapped her hands excitedly.

" Fighter Girl? Seriously?"


	4. The Party

Thanks for the reviews . This is my longest chapter yet (3k oh yes). This chapter will contain: Naley, Brooke and DRAMA ;). Please continue to follow and review. Thank you.

Haley felt relieved. Finally the day was over and she could breath again. Not that it had been a bad day at all. In fact she was very pleased. She thought that hitting one of the most popular girls in school would have made her the most hated person on Highwater, but fortunately Brooke had been there. Lunch had been the most awkward, since she sat at the same table as Rachel. But she spent her lunch talking to Brooke, Lucas and Peyton. She had been very surprised that Rachel hadn't glared or been mean, but she hoped that Rachel had learned a lesson. She really, really hoped. She wondered were Lucas's brother was but she didn't feel like asking. Also she had noticed some not so covert flirting between Lucas and Brooke. She smiled at the thought of Lucas spilling ketchup on Brooke's uniform and then apologizing around eighteen times. She also saw the way Brooke looked at Lucas when he stretched and exposed a bit of his stomach. And judging by the looks Peyton gave Haley during lunch, Peyton also noticed. Haley smiled again. Highwater certainly could have been a disaster but things had turned around. She just wished that she could move in with Brooke and Peyton immediately instead of living with Rachel until Sunday. That was going to be awkward to say the least. She actually almost felt bad for giving Rachel a black eye. Then she remembered. Detention. Well at least that gave her a reason to stay away from her roommate.

" Ms. James. I am Whitey but couch Durham to you. So you are the fighter they've been talking about. Huh. I do not tolerate any cursing or whatever you kids do these days. I will be in my office across the classroom so do not try to get out. When the clock turns six you can go to your dorm. Understood?" An old man muttered to her.

" Yes, sir." Haley said and smiled uncomfortably.

" Today my very own headache Nathan Scott is going to join you. You could exchange fighting stories." He said and smirked.

Haley James sat down, sighed and picked up her homework. At least she had something to do. Her head snapped up when she heard the door open. It was Nathan. He was dressed in a blue polo shirt that made his blue eyes stand out even more.

" Haley James. The fighter." He laughed and sat down next to her.

She rolled her eyes. He had a really cute laugh she noticed and blushed.

" Ha…Ha…very funny. Why are you here anyway?" She whispered.

" You don't have to whisper Haley, Whitey doesn't care as long as we don't fight." Nathan smiled and nudged her.

"Well school sucks, so I cut out and went to the city real quick. Plus Rachel wanted to hang out and…" He continued and shrugged.

" You hang out with Rachel?" Haley said shocked.

" Yeah she is like my uhm…well it doesn't matter. We are friends I guess." Nathan said awkwardly. He started drumming his hands on the table.

" Friends? Is she capable of that? Oh I'm sorry I just…she is really mean." Haley cursed herself. He must think I am such a bitch, she thought.

" Well I know, she is not my friend really, we just hang out sometimes and I thought what you did was really funny. She needed someone to put her in place. I just didn't think that cute, innocent Haley James would be the one." He said and winked. He called me cute, Haley thought and smiled.

" Well that's me, Haley James. Why did you cut out?" She knew that she shouldn't be poking around but she couldn't help it. She was just so curious about everything.

" I just couldn't be in school today." He suddenly looked very upset. She didn't know why but she put her hand on his shoulder. She felt her skin tingle. His body tensed up.

" I'm sorry that I asked. I am just such a curious person." She said honestly and quickly removed her hand.

He exhaled sharply and looked at her.

" It's okay Haley, it's just uh…my mom kind of died around this time two years ago." He looked down on his hands. Haley's heart sunk. His mom was dead and here she was worrying about not fitting in. She couldn't even imagine one of her parents dying. It must've been so horrible. He looked like he was in pain. She could see it in his eyes. Raw and sharp pain.

" Nathan, I am so sorry for your loss. I can't even imagine how hard it must be."

He gave her a small smile.

" I usually don't talk about it." He looked at her. It felt like he looked right through her and she felt her heart thudding wildly. She blushed again and he smiled.

" Hello kids. Why don't you stop looking into each other's eyes and start working on your neglected school work." Whitey looked into the classroom and chuckled lightly.

" This ain't no time for flirtin'." He said before returning to his office. Nathan only chuckled while Haley looked terrified. Coach Durham thinks that I'm flirting with Nathan, she thought and wanted to sink through the floor.

" I guess I need to do my homework." Haley said and picked up her pencil.

" I guess so."

" Aren't you going to do yours?" She asked.

" Nah. Homework is not my thing. I like basketball more." He said and smirked.

_Two hours later_

" Haley Bob James did you get into a fight? On the very first day?" She could hear her parents laughing and narrowed her eyes.

" It is not funny mom." She yelled into the phone. They could never be serious. She shook her head. She was currently in her room and she silently thanked God that Rachel wasn't there.

" Well, sweetie, I do think so. I think it is very funny. Did you throw any good punches?" Her mom asked and started to giggle.

" Hm, I might've given her a black eye." Haley said proudly. She had always been a good fighter.

" That's my girl." Jimmy said and chuckled.

" Well I need to go now, mom and dad. I'll talk to you nutheads later." She smiled.

" Did our daughter just call us nutheads?" Lydia said.

" Kids these days, Lydia. They are hopeless." Jimmy answered.

" BYE, love you." Haley said impatiently and hung up. They could talk for hours and she just felt like having some nice, well deserved alone time. Maybe read a good book or take a long hot shower. She just had too many thoughts swirling around in her head.

" I survived the first day of school. I made new friends and I didn't get in any trouble. I can do this." she whispered to herself and smiled. Then she felt bad for Nathan. His mom was dead. She could still remember the look in his eyes when he told her. She just felt this urge to help him, but she didn't know how. Her parents always told her to stop caring so much about others, they thought that she carried others and forget about her own needs. Haley couldn't help it though, it was just who she was. And she was going to help Nathan. She could see that he needed it.

" Hi Haley." Rachel said with a friendly smile as she opened the door. She was dressed in a short top that exposed her flat stomach and her shiny hair was in a high ponytail. The black eye was barely visible under the layers of makeup.

Haley gave Rachel a confused look. Was she going crazy? Did Rachel smile at her?

" Uhm Hi." Haley said and bit her lip.

" I just think we should forget about all of this. You know start fresh. I am having this party on my ranch on Saturday. I told principal Montgomery that my parents have invited some of my friends for a camping weekend and he bought it. So do you want to come? Lucas, Peyton and unfortunately Brooke are coming too." Haley studied Rachel closely. This just felt wrong.

" Well, I guess. Thanks. Is Nathan coming?" Haley asked casually.

" What do you care if Nathan is coming or not? And of course he is coming. He is going to share my room." Rachel said irritated.

Haley felt her heart sink. Now she understood what Nathan meant with "friends". They were freaking friends with benefits. Just _great._

" Oh I see."

" This is going to be so great Haley. We are going to have so much fun!"

Haley raised her eyebrows.

" Yeah…I'll bet." She said.

_Next day._

Haley loved the fact that all students had to wear the same uniform. That meant extra sleep and no risk of wearing ugly clothes. She shuddered when she remembered the poncho she used to wear back in Tree Hill.

" Fighter Girl. There you are. So tell me, did Rachel try to kill you last night? Brooke grinned and gave Haley a quick hug. Brooke looked stunning, even in the morning. Her brown eyes glittered in the sun as they walked over the campus.

" No actually she invited me to her party? I know it is super weird and I am thinking she might kill me there and dump me in the woods. What do you think?" Haley rambled.

" Wow. That sounds like a possible scenario, Soon-to-be-dead-girl. But you are still coming to the party and that is great. You are going in the car with us."

" Oh there's Lucas." Haley said and waved.

" Haley how do I look?" Brooke said quickly.

" Um great. Why?" Haley smiled. She knew exactly why, she just wanted to hear it from Brooke. Brooke looked at her and shrugged.

" No reason."

" Oh okay then. So it has nothing to do with Lucas?" Haley teased. To her surprise Brooke didn't smile back, she just looked very uncomfortable.

Lucas caught up with them and squinted his eyes in the morning sun.

" Good morning ladies. Where is Peyton?" Lucas smiled and looked at Brooke.

" She is late. Haley is coming to the party on Saturday. Isn't that great?" Brooke said suddenly back to normal.

" Rachel's party?" Lucas looked very confused and they giggled.

" Yeah. We think that she is going to murder Haley. But we are going to have fun before that." Brooke winked and Lucas chuckled.

" Sounds great."

" Um, I just wondered I know that it's not any of my business but I talked to Nathan yesterday at detention actually and he talked about his mother. How is he?" Haley asked and bit her lip. Brooke looked at her weirdly and Lucas scratched his head.

" He told you that? Well that was a surprise. Usually this week he pretty much skips school and drinks. I tried to talk to him you know. But he is closed off. I mean our dad's an ass. He sends Nate to boarding school two weeks after she died. I already went here cause my mom travels a lot with her boyfriend Andy, but um Nate was a wreck. He still doesn't care about school and stuff. He is lucky that he still has basketball." Haley nodded. Who sends their kid away under those circumstances? She just wanted to hit him. She wondered why Nathan's mom had died. But she didn't want to push her luck and ask Lucas.

" Nate is such a nice guy deep down, you know. He just hides behind this badboy thing." Brooke said and squeezed Lucas shoulder. He gave her a large smile.

" Huh. He seemed really sweet to me." Haley said.

" Sweet? That was the first time anyone described Nathan Scott as sweet." Lucas said and laughed and Brooke joined him. Haley just looked at them.

_Saturday Morning._

" Haley, wake up." Peyton said and threw a pillow on Haley.

" She totally sleeps like a dead person." Brooke added and the girls giggled.

" What is it? Mom and dad please stop talking." Haley murmured into her pillow.

Brooke and Peyton started to giggle again.

" HALEY JAMES wake up." Peyton said again.

" Oh". Haley said and opened her eyes reluctantly. She saw two familiar girls standing in front of her. Peyton with her golden locks and ragged t-shirt and Brooke with her smokey eyes and dimples. Why did all her new friends look like freaking supermodels? She sighed.

" What's with the frown. Turn that frown upside down, missy and start packing. Today is the party. And you need a tiny, teeny makeover." Brooke said carefully. She knew how Haley hated clothes and makeup, which was a real shame. That girl had some serious assets if you asked Brooke.

" Yeah, what she said." Peyton said and chuckled.

"Plus we are going to drive there and back and you are our designated driver. You said that you don't drink right? So you need to look extra hot because designated driver equals buzzkill. For the guys."

" Whatever you say Brooke." Haley said and rubber her head. She hated parties. She hated Rachel. This was like a big nightmare.

After an afternoon of makeover and packing Haley looked at herself in the mirror. Her large golden brown eyes were surrounded by soft smoky colors and her cheeks looked pink. Her lipgloss tasted like strawberry. Brooke had done a good job. She was wearing a tight black dress and black high heels. She felt like a completely different person. She wondered if Nathan would notice. She quickly pushed that though aside.

" You look smokin" Peyton said and nodded approvingly. She was dressed in a tight, dark green dress.

" I figured if Rachel is going to kill me, I have to look good. Plus you look hot." Haley laughed.

"Of course I do." Peyton laughed. Haley nudged her.

" Okay, girlies. We are just going to pick up Lucas and Jake and then we are on our way!" Brooke squealed.

" Just before we go I just wondered, Brooke why do you hate Rachel?" Haley really was curious. Brooke flinched and stopped smiling and Peyton gave Haley a hard stare.

" Um. I don't want to talk about it." Brooke said shortly. Tension filled the room. Haley felt really bad. She shouldn't have asked. She gave herself a mental slap.

" Sorry Brooke."

" It's okay, let's just go." She gave Haley a quick smile but her eyes were glazed with tears.

When they reached the party Haley remembered why she hated them. People were loud and obnoxious and drunk. She must admit that Rachel's ranch was impressing. The large estate could easily have been a museum, everything looked so old and elegant. But now it was filled with drunk teenagers.

" Haley." Rachel said sweetly and sipped from her cup.

" Rachel, this is such a beautiful place."

" Yeah I know. Just make yourself at home." She winked and walked away.

Haley looked stunned. She had thought that she would be ridiculed or something like that. Instead Rachel had just welcomed her. Maybe she was wrong about Rachel. Maybe she was really trying to start fresh. But why would Brooke hate her then?

"Hello, sweetie. I am Damien. Wanna dance?" A guy interrupted her thoughts. He looked like a real douchebag.

" No, thanks." She said.

Then she saw Nathan. He looked extremely drunk. He was swaying along to the music that reverberated through Rachel's gigantic living room. Rachel stood next to him and whispered in his ear. He laughed.

" Haley, come and dance with us." Jake screamed and Peyton nodded.

" I'm coming I'm just going to get a soda." Haley screamed back. She tried to walk to the kitchen but everyone kept bumping into her.

" I've got a soda for you." A familiar voice said. She thankfully took the cup. She turned around to say thanks but then the person was gone. She shrugged and took a sip.

She suddenly felt how everything started to blur. The colors of the room and the people around her melted together and she felt dizzy. She tried to scream but no words left her mouth. The dizziness was overwhelming. The last thing she saw was Brooke's worried face. Then everything went black.

Authors Note: tell me what you think. :)


	5. Broken

Authors Note: Please read and review.

It was they day after anniversary of his mother's death. He could feel it when he woke up. The air felt different, heavier. He knew he fucked up. Real bad. Not going to school for an entire week wouldn't look good for the scouts. But he just couldn't focus. Nothing made sense this week, it never did. So he got drunk, partied and at night when Lucas slept and no one could hear he cried. He felt weak.

"Fuck." He screamed out in the empty room. Lucas had already left.

" Fuck." He punched his hand against the wall feeling the pain swish through his body.

He needed to get out. He needed to shape up. Otherwise his father would come up and beat the crap out of him. Give him lectures about screwing up his chances of playing in the NBA. Nathan shook his head.

" She died because of you." He whispered with gritted teeth. The anger pumped in his veins and he wanted to punch the wall again, but judging by his badly bruised hand that was a stupid decision. So he swallowed the anger and got dressed. The air was fresh when he got out. The campus looked beautiful with the juicy, green lawn and large oaks. But he couldn't see it. He decided to go to the forest. It was quiet there and he craved the quiet. Then he saw her. She looked fragile in the morning sun, broken almost. Not like the bubbly girl in detention. He wondered why she wasn't in class. She was sitting on the bench, dressed in sweatpants and a hoodie with her long, auburn hair tied up in a messy bun. He swallowed hard.

" Hi." He said. He didn't know why. He just knew that he needed to talk to her.

She glanced up at him, her large doll eyes looked tired.

"Hi." She said with a voice that showed no emotion.

" What happened?" He sat down next to her and leaned back on the bench.

" I got drugged." He just looked at her. He felt his heart constrict when a few tears ran down her pale cheeks.

" My mom died. Of an overdose." It was the first time he said it to anyone. He didn't understand why he said it to her, he didn't even know her but it still made sense. It felt better after he said it.

She turned to him.

" I'm so sorry, Nathan." She whispered.

" Me too."

* * *

Brooke paced around the room. She couldn't help but feel guilty about what happened to Haley. She felt like she could have stopped somehow.

" Do you think it's our fault?" Peyton glanced up at Brooke and gave her a small smile.

" No, I think it's Rachel's fault. You did everything you could Brooke. We got help and we got her home safe. Nothing happened."

" What do you mean by nothing happened? She got drugged for god sakes. And she took it really hard. Did you see her eyes?" Brooke exclaimed. Haley was a nice, sweet girl. She didn't deserve this.

" Yeah, but she will get over it. She is a fighter." Peyton gave Brooke a quick hug.

" I am going to _kill _Rachel." Brooke said and narrowed her eyes. No one hurt her friends, especially not Rachel.

" Well Lucas wants that too, and you can count me in." Peyton chuckled lightly.

" Why does Lucas want to kill her? He seemed to _enjoy_ her expertise earlier this semester."

" You weren't even dating Lucas back then, Brooke. You need to stop thinking about that, they didn't even have sex." Peyton said and nudged her. Brooke felt something inside of her snap.

" He knew that I cared about him. He knew that. And still he kissed her? I just can't trust him and that hurts." Brooke yelled. She was so tired of feeling hurt and pissed at Lucas. She wanted to trust him and let him in, but she was too afraid. He had kissed her enemy. It may sound childish, Brooke understood that, but loyalty was everything to her. Her heart was guarded even as a little child, when her parents constantly let her down. It stayed with her and was her defensemechanism. Event though she was known as the pretty and popular, cheery girl she sometimes felt like the opposite. She liked being the cheery girl but it also served another purpose. She could keep people away from hurting her by never exposing all of herself. Peyton was sometimes the only one that knew her.

" He told me that Rachel kissed him, not the other way around. Lucas likes you Brooke. Always has, always will." Deep down inside Brooke knew that. She just needed him to prove it. Until then her heart was closed.

" I don't want to talk about anymore, P. Sawyer. Where is Haley anyway?" Brooke shrugged and got back to her usual self.

" She wanted to take a walk and clear her head."

" We should have a slumber party tonight. You know to celebrate that she our new roommate and try to make her forget about all the crap. Plus I get to do another makeover." Brooke said and tried to sound cheery.

" Count me in, B. Davis."

* * *

Brooke needed it to be perfect. She checked the room. The candles were lit and made the room look cozy. She had four icecreams in the freezer and plenty of soda. She smiled.

" Haley James and Peyton Sawyer you may enter Brooke Davis's slumber party" She said and giggled.

" Wow Brooke it looks great." Peyton said. Haley just nodded.

" So who wants to eat icecream and talk about boys. I know. Me." Brooke squealed and skipped to the freezer.

" Look this is great Brooke, I really appreciate it but I'm really tired. I just want to sleep." Haley said and looked down. Brooke felt a little disappointed, but she understood. Haley had been drugged on her first week of boarding school. That wasn't exactly in the brochure.

" It's okay, we'll do it tomorrow."

" Perfect." Haley smiled sweetly.

Haley brushed her teeth. She looked at herself in the mirror. She looked tired. She shuddered at the thought of sleeping, she was to scared to close her eyes and to tired to be up. She got dressed in her favorite t-shirt that she always slept in. She felt a wave of homesickness hit her. She would do anything to be back in her bead and hang at the rivercourt. She knew that Brooke and Peyton were trying to be supportive but they didn't know her like her old friends. She just felt like packing her bag and fleeing from Highwater as soon as possible. Away from evil and horrible people like Rachel.

She realized that there was only one thing that held her back. Nathan.


	6. I and love and you

Authors note: I am guessing you didn't enjoy the last chapter due to no feedback. So I'm not really sure if I should continue or not because I don't feel like posting stuff that people don't enjoy. I already have a couple of chapters that I've already written so I'm going to post them as soon as possible and then see how it goes. So hopefully you will read and like this chapter but I am feeling a little bit worried that many of you think that this is an awful story. Sorry for writing such a long note. I appreciate every single comment, favorite and follow that I have gotten so far. Thank you :)

Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill.

Peyton was sitting in her room listening to music. It was not a rare sight. Music was her escape, the only thing that always made sense. It gave her comfort when she was sad and gave her joy when she was happy. Music was always there and never judged her. She cherished those moments when Brooke was away, not that she didn't love hanging out with Brooke, and she sat there alone and let the music swallow her. But today Haley was there, sitting quietly in her bed. Peyton hoped that her music could heal Haley too. She understood why Haley was so upset, Haley thought the best of people and always wanted to help. Peyton had realized that early on. But knowing that people like Rachel existed and did horrible thing must have been a hard blow on Haley's view of the world. She just seemed a little bit hopeless at the moment but Peyton also understood that Haley was strong. She would snap out of it soon, Peyton was sure of it.

" Do you want to do something else?" Peyton asked cautiously.

" No I love your record collection, you've got so much stuff." Haley said and gave her a real genuine smile.

" Dude, I am so happy that you like it. Brooke calls it loser rock or emo music." Peyton laughed. She loved Brooke like a sister but they were really different. That was why they were perfect together.

" Sounds like Brooke." Haley chuckled. She looked happier today, Peyton noticed.

" Yeah we are lucky to have her in our lives, otherwise things would be so…broody." Peyton added and shrugged.

" Yeah you and Lucas sitting in silence and listening to depressing rock don't sound too exciting."

" Hey, do not mock my music you're supposed to be on my side." Peyton nudged Haley.

Haley stuck out her tongue.

" I should call Lucas and thank him for bringing me home and helping me." Haley said after a while. He had been really nice to her after Rachel's party and had brought food and talked to her to make sure she was alright. Peyton really liked Lucas's and Haley's newfound friendship, it seemed very real.

" Yeah girlie, how are you by the way? I don't want to push you into talking about it but you can if you want to."

" I'm okay today actually. Rachel is a shitty person and that's just how it is I guess. I'm just realizing that there are people who have much more serious problems than I do and that I shouldn't let this thing stop me from enjoying Highwater or having fun with you guys. Rachel is not going to take that from me. I won't let her." Haley said and bit her lip.

" Dude you've got it all figured out. What or who made you realize all this?"

" Nathan." Haley stated softly.

" Nathan?" Peyton wanted to laugh but held it in.

" Yeah." Haley smiled.

" Well good job Nathan."

* * *

Haley felt relieved. The panic that she experienced yesterday was gone. Today was a bright new day and Haley was an optimist to the core. A new day meant new possibilities. She knew that Brooke wanted to make Rachel pay but Haley didn't want that. She was choosing the high road. She wanted to remain true to herself and she did that by being nice. Not that it was wrong with a little payback, but that was just going to get her into more trouble and Haley wanted to be trouble free. After her music session with Peyton she was excited to go to class. She had history first period and she loved history. She knew that she was a nerd, but being a nerd was fun. If you were going to spend all that time in class, why not enjoy it? She organized her bag one last time before rushing out of her room. She wanted to be early and get a good seat.

She walked to the main building when she saw Nathan.

" Nathan!" she shouted and waved. She really needed to talk to him.

He approached her and smirked.

" Excited to see me, James?"

" Actually yes. I now it none of my business but I was thinking that maybe, I mean if you wanted to I could you know…"

" What, ramble me to death?" He chuckled. She glared at him but he just kept smirking. That smug bastard, she thought and couldn't help but smile. She knew she was a rambler.

" Tutor you." She finished.

" Tutor me?" He looked shocked and almost angry.

" Yeah I kind of heard that you weren't motivated in school and I just wanted to help…"

" What you think I'm a stupid jock? That I can't handle school? You don't even know me." He started walking away and looked fuming. Haley felt desperate. She just wanted to help him like he'd helped her yesterday.

" No please Nathan, I just want to help." She shouted after him. She saw some students staring at her but she didn't care.

" Whatever." He muttered and continued to walk away.

Haley sighed and ran a hand through her long hair. Helping Nathan was harder then she thought it would be.

* * *

Haley longed to lunch and now finally her lesson was over. Normally she would have been really invested in class, but her disastrous encounter with Nathan kept distracting her. At lunch she could talk to Lucas and ask him about how to fix it. She really hoped that she hadn't ruined everything between them. Everything, she said and scoffed, they barely knew each other. She needed to get a grip. She was just trying to be nice and if he didn't understand that he was a jerk. She slammed her locker.

" Hi Haley. You are Haley, right?" A cute looking guy asked her and smiled.

" Yeah." Haley blushed. He must have heard all sort of weird stuff about her and now he saw her slam her locker.

" I'm Chase. We have English together. I heard what happened to at the party and I just wanted to see if you're okay." He blushed. Haley smiled at him.

" That's really nice of you. I'm fine now." She thought that it was really sweet of him to ask. Really, really sweet.

" Well, I have to go but I'll see you around I hope." He smiled again and walked away.

Haley suddenly felt a lot happier. Chase seemed cute. She liked cute boys. Who didn't?

" Haley." It was Brooke. She could recognize that raspy voice from anywhere.

" Yes, tigger. What's up?"

" I had calculus and it killed my spirit. But then I saw you talking to Cute-Chase and now my spirit is fully recovered. So spill!?"

" It was nothing. He just wanted to know if I was alright." Haley looked down.

" That doesn't sound like nothing. I think my favorite clean teen has got a crush on you." Brooke clapped her hands excitedly.

" Clean teen?" Haley asked confused.

" Virgin club. Unfortunately for you he doesn't believe in sex before marriage. A real shame if you ask me." Brooke shook her head.

" Oh. I definitively don't judge people who do it, but I want to wait too."

Haley had thought much about it the last few years. For her sex was supposed to be magical, an expression of how much you loved somebody not just something meaningless. She didn't really feel the need to join a club, she just knew it in her heart. What other people did with their bodies was their business.

" You are a match made in virginheaven." Brooke beamed.

" He didn't really ask me to marry him, Brooke." Haley chuckled.

" Well it is just a matter of time. He will ask soon so that he finally can _do it._" Brooke laughed and Haley elbowed her.

" Brooke? Do we have to sit with the other cheerleaders today?" Haley realized that Rachel would be at that table.

" Why? Oh. No of course not, slutty evil redheaded bitches are not allowed at my table." Brooke said firmly and linked arms with Haley. Haley smiled brightly.

" Great. Thanks."

" Anything for Virgin-Girl."

" Brooke could you please not call me that. Out loud. In public." Haley elbowed her again.

" Ow that really hurt, Fighter-Girl." Brooke winked.

They reached the cafeteria and brought their trays to an empty table. The cheerleaders looked at Brooke. They all looked really upset except Rachel, Haley noticed. She didn't want Brooke to fight with her team but Brooke gave her a reassuring look. Soon Peyton, Lucas and a couple of other people joined Brooke and Haley. And to Haley's surprise Nathan also joined them. She shouldn't read too much into it though, he probably just wanted to sit with some of the guys from his team and Lucas. But she couldn't help but smile when she saw Rachel glaring at them.

* * *

" Hi, coach Durham." Haley said and sighed. Another afternoon in detention. Another dull afternoon with homework as her only company. She would much rather be with Brooke and Peyton at their room. Or at the library with Lucas. But no, she had detention every single afternoon for another week. It sucked.

" Have a seat Ms. James. Do not enjoy it too much." Whitey grinned and walked out of the classroom. She sat down and looked out the window. Highwater really was beautiful. From her classroom she could see the lake. A couple of swans were diving after food and the water glittered in the sunlight. She suddenly missed the docks in Tree Hill. She used to sit by the bench and look out over the water. It was so peaceful. Her mom and dad used to bring her there when she was little. Her and her two sisters used to run around and play while her parents watched. It was before they joined Doctors Without Borders. Now they were always gone on a mission. Haley understood them though, they wanted to help as much as they could. She just missed them. She sighed and returned to her homework.

* * *

Brooke glanced at her phone. She expected Lucas to call. He usually did that on Monday's and they would go out and take a walk before curfew. But it was starting to get late and still no call. She didn't know what this meant. Had he just forgotten all about it or maybe he didn't want to. She looked over at Haley and Peyton who were playing monopoly on the floor. She wasn't in the mood to join them. He had seemed really distanced at lunch and barely said two words to her and that made her feel uncomfortable. He used to talk to her every chance he could get. She felt the usual ache in her heart and tried to hold down her tears. She was Brooke Davis. She was not going to cry over some dumb buy. But it wasn't just some dumb boy, it was Lucas and she knew that it was a huge difference. Before she started to get to know him she used to play around with boys. She was hot and she knew how to play the game. But he had changed that. He cared about her. He asked about her feelings and he wanted to know the answer. He was just perfect. She suddenly realized that she loved him. Brooke Davis loved Lucas Scott. And she was absolutely terrified.


	7. Sudden Changes

Authors Note: I want to point out that the rating soon will be changed to M. Just so that everyone is aware. Please read and review. Thank you. Also I would like to point out that in this story Nathan is quite broken and confused because of his mothers death. Also Peyton and Nathan never dated before Haley showed up. This is still a Naley story nonetheless.

Peyton sat on a bench. She looked out over the lake and took a deep breath. She loved it here, the beautiful view and the fresh air. Normally Peyton wasn't exactly the outdoorsy type but there was just something with this spot. It was early in the morning and she was the only one there, as usual. Her father was a sailor, so she guessed that she inherited his love of the water. She had thought a lot about him lately. He had sent her away when she was 13, saying that he wanted her to have a stable home. At first she had been angry. How could he send her away? But after a while she realized that he was scared. Scared of not being enough, scared of being a bad father. He was a good father, but he was rarely home. And he certainly had a hard time talking about feelings. When Peyton first got here she was still mad. So she dyed her hair and pierced her face. After she met Brooke she stopped. She was done with the rebellion and he hadn't even noticed. Suddenly she saw a familiar figure approaching her. It was Nathan.

" Hi." He said and sat down besides her. Peyton looked at him weirdly. He looked quiet and tired. Usually Nathan was a constant smirk. She guessed that it had something to do with his mother.

" Hi." She smiled. It was a bit awkward. Even though they were friends they usually hanged out in a group. And they were usually drunk.

"Yeah." Nathan started drumming his hand on his leg.

" Do you have basketball practice today?" She didn't know what else to say.

" Yeah. Cheerleader practice?"

" Yeah. We're trying to convince Haley to join us, but she is really hesitant. She says that she has no coordination and almost drowned in the balls of Chuck. when she was little." Peyton laughed. Nathan just looked down.

" And speaking of Haley, I'm really happy you talked to her cause you made her snap out of her blues." Peyton continued. Nathan still looked uncomfortable.

" Yeah I guess."

" So how are you? You were a mess last week." Peyton teased.

" I'm better. You know how it's like to have a dead mother. It kinda sucks." Nathan smiled a half-smile.

" Yeah it really does." Peyton put her hand over his. She didn't know why. She just figured he needed it. Her mother had died many years ago and although it still hurt like hell she had learned to deal with the pain. Nathan's wounds were still fresh and she wanted to help. She understood how it felt to be lost and hurting. He smiled at her and squeezed her hand.

* * *

Brooke sat in class and thought about Lucas. It was nothing new. She thought about his perfect baby blue eyes and his very hot and perfectly sculpted body. She would like to do dirty things to that body. But then she realized that he hadn't called last night. She spent last night staring at her phone trying to make it call. But it didn't and now she sat in class and couldn't stop thinking about him. And it really sucked.

" Brooke? Earth to Brooke, repeating, Earth to Brooke? Haley said and laughed.

Brooke glared.

" You are such a nerd, Fighter-Girl." She said and smiled.

" Whatever, you are the one who is still in class after it's over." Haley said and smiled.

Brooke looked around her. Everyone had left except for her and Haley.

" So what's on your mind?" Haley asked curiously.

" Nothing special." Brooke said and looked down. She started walking.

" So you were practically drooling over nothing?" Haley raised her eyebrows.

" Did I drool? That's gross. I guess I might have been thinking about Lucas." She almost whispered the last part. Haley practically beamed and it annoyed Brooke. It was not something she enjoyed. She really wished that she could forget all about Lucas.

" This is great. I knew it. Well everyone knew it but still. This is really great." Haley rambled.

" How is it great, Haley." Brooke whined.

" Because he likes you and you like him. Obviously." Haley looked confused.

" You think he likes me?" Brooke whispered again. Haley started to laugh. Her tiny body shook with laughter.

" What? What's so funny?" Brooke glared at Haley. This was not funny.

" It's so obvious Brooke. You flirt constantly and he is always so giddy when he is with you. Everyone in school knows about it except I guess you two morons. I actually think that there's a bet going around about you two." Haley explained.

" A BET? What kind of bet?"

" Um if you two will rip each others clothes off at lunch…" Haley laughed.

" I need to find Lucas." Brooke said suddenly. She was a girl with a mission. To get the guy of her dreams.

* * *

Haley snickered at the thought of Brooke and hurried to her locker. She was starving and couldn't wait for lunch. One of the perks of going to a boarding school with snobby cheerleaders was that the food was amazing. Haley usually wanted to lick the plate after each meal.

" Haley." Haley woke up from her daydreaming and smiled. It was Chase. He looked even cuter today and he had a paint stain on his left cheek.

" Hi." She blushed. She hated that she always blushed but she couldn't help it.

" I was looking for you actually. Do you want to go to Charlotte with me on Friday?" He gave her a wide smile and Haley felt her heart melt.

" Like a date?" Haley felt the anticipation build in her body. Chase was perfect for her. He would never pressure her into sex and he was really nice. She could really see him as potential boyfriend. Plus he was really hot.

" Yeah. A date." He looked nervous.

" I would love that. You can maybe meet me outside my dorm around six?" Haley liked planning things and having control. Guys that asked her out were usually surprised when she decided on time and place. But Chase just chuckled.

" Yeah sounds perfect. I am looking forward to it."

" Chase you have like a stain on your cheek."

" Oh I paint in the woods sometimes, and I am a clutz." He looked embarrassed.

" You paint in the forest? That's so cool."

" Yeah maybe I could paint you sometime?"

" I would love that." Haley giggled.

* * *

Haley was on her way back to her room when someone pushed her. It was Rachel. Haley decided to just ignore it and walk past her but Rachel pushed her again.

" What do you want?" Haley said tiredly. She was tired of fighting with Rachel and she didn't feel like punching her again. The only reason to why she hadn't called the cops on Rachel the day after she was drugged was the fact that she had to mention that she was on a party where people drank alcohol. If you got drunk as a student in Highwater you got expelled and Haley didn't want that.

" I want you out of this school. You humiliated me Haley and I will make you pay for that until you graduate… or transfer." Rachel smiled a fake smile.

" Why? Don't you think that drugging me halfdead was enough?"

" No." Rachel said flatly. She pushed Haley again. Haley felt her anger rise. She was not going to let a bully dictate her life. She was about to push Rachel back when a pair of strong arms pulled her away.

" Rachel, leave Haley alone." Nathan said firmly. Haley felt a shiver run through her body as her body pressed against his. Rachel looked at him like he had grown two heads.

" Hi Nate. I was just looking for you. Do you want to go to my dorm for some afternoon fun?" Rachel sounded sweet and innocent and Haley felt her blood boil. Rachel was such a bitch. She couldn't believe that Nathan slept with that hoebag. She broke lose from Nathan's grip, the thought of him touching Rachel made her want to throw up.

" No. It's over Rachel."

" You have said that before, honey" Rachel said and smirked but Haley could see the uncertainty glimmering in her eyes. Haley smiled at the sight.

" Whatever. It's over." He rolled his eyes and walked away. Haley hurried after him and Rachel just stood there looking confused and angry. She glared angrily at Haley and stormed off. d

" Thanks." Haley murmured. Nathan stopped and looked at her. His blue eyes bore into hears and her heart skipped a beat. He swallowed loudly.

" Whatever. At least the stupid jock is strong, right?" He said before rushing off.

She wanted to run after him but then she just shrugged. If he wanted to be a jerk then fine, she couldn't help the fact that he hated her so much. She realized that she probably never would be friends with Nathan and even though it hurt she pushed that thought aside. She had Chase and he at least seemed to like her. Then she remembered how good it felt to have Nathans hard body pressed up against her and she blushed. She gave herself a mental slap and walked away feeling more confused then ever.

* * *

"Hey Nathan." Peyton shouted. She had thought about him a lot today. The look in his eyes this morning was stuck in her head and she couldn't help but feel a need to comfort him. Now he was walking angrily across campus. He turned around and she could see the fire in his baby blue eyes.

" Hi Peyton." He smirked. At least he smirked. That was more like the Nathan she knew. She smiled back and ran a hand through her blonde locks.

" Are you alright? You were walking like a madman." Peyton chuckled.

" Yeah I just… I got mad at Rachel for pushing Haley and then I got mad at Haley." He said and looked embarrassed.

" You got mad at Haley?" Peyton was shocked. She had seen Nathan looking at Haley every time Haley looked away and thought that he might have a crush on her. But now that didn't seem likely. Peyton realized that she was relieved, that she actually hated the fact that Nathan looked at another girl. She looked at him, his dark hair in perfect contrast to his intense blue eyes and she suddenly felt the urge to kiss him. So she did. It was short and sweet and she could feel a tingle in his stomach. He looked at her with surprise evident in his eyes.

" Um, Peyton what was that?" He smirked.

" Come with me to Charlotte on Friday." She felt bold but something about Nathan made her drop her usual shyness. She winked at him.

" Uh I guess so." He shuffled from one foot to another and gave her a small smile.

" Pick me up at six." She ordered before turning around and walking away. She couldn't wait to tell Brooke and Haley about this. She smiled and felt a rush of adrenaline surge through her body.

* * *

Brooke walked the corridors anxiously. She was looking for Lucas. She had looked everywhere but he was nowhere to be seen. Then she saw him and she felt her pulse quicken. She ran to him and grabbed him by his collar. He looked at her surprised.

" Lucas." She said with a dimpled grin.

" Brooke." He breathed and smiled.

" I want you." She didn't know how she possessed the courage to say something like that and judging by the blush that spread across Lucas's face he didn't expect it either.

" I want you too, Pretty Girl. I was just a big coward I guess." He murmured and caressed her cheek. She could feel thousands of tingles on her cheek. She was so happy that she almost could feel her heart burst.

" Good." She whispered.

" Good" He whispered. He leaned down and captured her lips. She could feel her stomach doing flip flops and smiled. So this was how it felt to kiss Lucas.

" I won the bet man! Give the Tim his money." Tim said and danced around.

Brooke laughed. Suddenly everything felt so much better.


	8. The things we hide

Okayy back with a new update. Wrote it super late one night, when I was supposed to study…Please read and review.

Also, I really want to emphasize that I'm really a fan of Naley getting together slowly, not immediately since that makes it less special in my opinion and therefore I will write this story in that "setup". If anyone is still interested ;)

Brooke Davis certainly felt like a very lucky girl. The boy of her dreams finally stood by her side looking sexier than ever. But being with Lucas pretty much all day long, everyday had its downsides, even though they were few. She had barely talked to Peyton or Haley for almost three days and she felt like a bad friend. Every time she tried to walk over to her own room she instead saw Lucas or got a text from him and she found herself in his embrace. But now she finally found the strength to get up from his bed and snuck out of the boy's dorm and walked over to her own room. It was time for some quality girl talk.

" Oh my god Hales is that who I think it is?" Peyton chuckled as Brooke entered the room.

" No it can't be, she is long gone." Haley snickered and looked up from her textbook.

" Ha…Ha…very funny guys." Brooke said and sat down on her bed.

" I know we are quite the comedians." Peyton said and gave Brooke a hug.

" I'm sorry I've been MIA lately but Lucas is just so tempting." Brooke said and shrugged.

" Oh it's fine Tigger, we understand, we're just happy that you're happy." Haley smiled and sat down besides Peyton and Brooke.

" So how is couply life, Brookie?" Peyton said and wriggled her eyebrows.

Brookes eyes lit up and she smiled a dimpled grin.

" The sex is a-mah-zing. I mean being with someone you love is just such a rush." Brooke exclaimed. Haley crinkled her nose in disgust.

" Ugh too much information." Haley said.

" You've already dropped the love bomb?" Peyton said shocked.

" Yeah. I mean it's just so much better, everything really. It just clicked. And by the way get used to it Virgin-Girl." Brooke stuck out her tongue.

" Gross. But I'm really happy for you and a little bit jealous not gonna lie. The fairytale romance is just so appealing" Haley said and sighed. She thought about Chase. Maybe he could give her the happy ever after. Looking at Brooke she saw the happiness shining in her eyes and she knew that she wanted that. But not with Lucas, the thought made her shudder.

" I've got a date with Nathan, speaking of possible romances." Peyton said and smiled. She had thought a lot about him lately and she actually really looked forward to their date in Charlotte. She had talked to Haley about it earlier and they found out that they were both going on dates on Friday in Charlotte. Haley and Chase seemed like a good potential couple but she kind of felt this hesitant vibe from Haley when she first mentioned the date. She hoped that Haley would be happy, she deserved it.

" Peyton! This is amazing we are dating two brothers! How cool?" Brooke said and clapped her hands together.

" And I'm going with Chase to Charlotte on Friday." Haley said not wanting to be left out.

" We are having the best boy-year ever, my ladies. Me and Lucas, and Hotshot, Hales and Cute-Chase. This is officially perfect." Brooke smiled at her two friends. These past days really had been _great_.

Nathan was still feeling sore after practice when he got back to his room. He saw Lucas laying in his bed with a goofy grin on his face. Nathan rolled his eyes. This was not a rare sight this past week. Nathan had been forced more than once to sleep downstairs in the sofa when Brooke came over to have some private time with her new boyfriend. Because of the strict No Girls rule in Lucas' dorm him and Brooke had been very paranoid about getting caught and Brooke usually came in through the window past curfew. Nathan tried to forget when he accidentally walked in on them yesterday morning. His brother and girlfriend having sex was not one of his most cherished memories.

" Morning Nate." Lucas said still with that goofy grin plastered on his face.

" It's noon."

" Oh someone woke up on a bad mood." Lucas teased.

" Whatever." Nathan shook his head.

" Look man, the sun is shining the birds are singing. It's a great time to be alive." Lucas continued and sighed contently.

" Dude, I'm just gonna go." Nathan said and held up his arms in surrender. He couldn't take anymore of this bullshit.

" You just have to learn to appreciate the small things Nate. The small things." Lucas shouted after him.

" Shut up, Pucas." Nathan shouted as he walked away. He loved his brother to death but today he just wanted to punch Lucas in the face. He also felt this uncomfortable feeling of jealousy. He realized that he wanted what Lucas had. Maybe he could find that with Peyton. But the image that flashed through his mind was Haley sitting on the bench by the forest last week. He shook his head and decided to go to the basketball court. It always cleared his head to shoot some hoops. And judging by his thoughts he desperately needed some clarity. He walked to the court and started shooting. Like always he made the shot and heard the svooshing sound he had come to love. Nothing but net. He needed to talk to Haley and apologize for being a jerk. And then he could continue on with his life without this feeling of guilt that made him think about her constantly. He needed to focus on other things. Things like basketball and maybe Peyton. She had looked so happy when she kissed him and he had to say that she was a good kisser. He could still remember that faint smell of strawberry on her lips.

He looked across the court and noticed someone walking towards him. It was Rachel. In her skintight skirt and see-through blouse she looked hotter than usual and he couldn't help but look at her. She smirked and flipped her long red hair to the side.

" I know you still want me, Scott." She said and trailed a finger along his chest.

" I don't. You drugged someone. You disgust me." He stated and looked away from her.

" I don't understand Nathan, when I told you about my plans you didn't really protest." She said sweetly and licked her lips. Nathan felt a flash of guilt hit him. Most of that night was still blurry, but the things he did remember made him feel like hell.

" I just… I didn't know you were talking about Haley. I was really drunk and you made it sound like harmless fun." He shrugged and looked down at the basketball he held in his hands.

" Playing the blaming game, are you? I mean you were the one that prepared the drink. I'm sure that neither Haley nor Principal Montgomery would be very pleased to hear that." She moved closer to him and he could smell her cotton candy perfume.

" I didn't know that it was harsh drugs and that you were actually going to give it to someone. I was really drunk. And if I had known what was going on I wouldn't have done it. You make me sick."

" So you keep saying, but you are still a part of this Nathan and if you don't stop denying it or me I'm going to tell the principal."

" That doesn't even make sense. You would get expelled to, you know?" Nathan couldn't believe what he was hearing.

" Honey, I don't care about that. I care about you and me. I like to spend time with you. So I'll see you on Saturday or I'll tell them both." She winked and walked away.

" Fuck." He mumbled.

Haley walked down the corridor looking for Chase. She wanted to see him before her next class started. Instead she walked into someone. Typical me, she thought, always the clutz. She looked up and saw a pair of familiar light blue eyes gazing at her.

" Sorry." She mumbled and bent down to pick up her books. The last thing she wanted was to have another awkward conversation with Nathan.

" Its okay." He bent down to and started helping her. She gave him a small smile.

" Thanks. See you later." She said quickly.

" Haley wait." He swallowed loudly and she could see something that looked like nervousness in his eyes.

" Yeah sure."

" I just wanted to say I'm sorry. For all sorts of things. I really hope that we can be friends." He put his hands in his pockets and looked at her expectantly.

" Oh. Well of course. I would really want to be your friend too."

" Great. I'll see you later then, friend." He smirked.

" Yeah, right back at ya." She chuckled nervously. She really hadn't expected him to come around but she was glad that he did. With him and Peyton possibly dating it would just be trouble if they had this awkward tension between them. So for Peyton's sake they just had to get past it and she was happy that he took the first step. She glanced over her shoulder as she walked away and saw him still standing there, looking after her as she went and their eyes locked.

Nathan was in his car. He needed to get away for the afternoon even though he knew that skipping school again wasn't the smartest thing to do. He could imagine Whitey's face and shuddered. But he couldn't just sit in class and concentrate. Not today. There were too many thoughts running through his mind right now and he felt like the biggest idiot to ever exist. He was partly responsible for drugging Haley and now he was in a bigger mess than he ever expected. Rachel was blackmailing him and he didn't know what to do, her craziness and manipulative ways had surprised him. He looked outside and saw the rain splashing against the windshield. He didn't know where he was going but he felt that darkness, the familiar feeling of emptiness spread in his mind. He used to be such a carefree kid, all those years ago, he used to play with his friends on the yard in the afternoons and his mother used to serve lemonade. Then Dan had started with his basketball. And from then on everything circulated around basketball. In Dan's mind the sun wasn't the center of the solar system instead it was a basketball. And Nathan could still remember all those empty bottles of wine that his mother tried to hide in the basement. And one day she was just gone. Carried away on a stretcher hidden under a grey blanket. He had just returned from basketball practice when the ambulance had arrived and his hair was still wet from the shower.

" She was weak." Was all Dan said to him that day. And it was in that moment that Nathan knew that he hated his father.

Nathan woke up from his daydreaming when a car honked. He realized that he was in the wrong lane.

" Get a grip." He told himself and shook his head. He heard his phone ringing but he didn't care. Suddenly he knew where he wanted to go, to the one man he respected aside from Whitey.

Haley knew that it was wrong to feel guilt for something she hadn't done. But she did anyway. From the outside she probably looked like the average girl but she was far from it. Usually she never thought about it. She had pushed it so far back in her head that she had hoped that she could forget it. Forget about _her_. Her sister. Her parents had done a great job with the denying and forgetting. They just went away from home and joined Doctors Without Borders and pretended that everything was fine. That their rebellious daughter hadn't died from an overdose. Taylor. The black sheep, the outcast. Haley and Taylor never got along. They were like cat and mouse, always fighting and arguing over everything. Even though Haley never said it she was happy when Taylor moved out. And now she was dead. Haley felt the tears streaming down her cheeks and she wiped them away with the back of her hand. She never told anyone, because she felt like it was partly her fault that Taylor was dead. If she just had been more supportive, argued less and listened more. The shrinks that her parents had forced her to go to said that Haley wasn't to blame, that sometimes people are born broken.

"Hi roomie." Brooke entered the room. Haley quickly hid her face behind her textbook.

"Hi." Haley said weakly.

"Fighter-Girl is everything okay?" Brooke suddenly looked concerned.

" I'm fine Brooke. It's really nothing. Just you know PMS." Haley said unconvincingly.

" If you want to talk about it, I'm here." Brooke gave her a small dimpled smile.

" Yeah sure." Haley said and looked down at her textbook again.

**A/N So….. I know that it seems like it came out of the blue, but it was actually something I planned. I just really wanted it to be hidden deep within Haley. She is so used to hiding her pain and guilt that she never talks or wants to talk about it.**

**Well, well that was all for this chapter. Also this means that drugs are a very sensitive topic for Haley…well well. Next chapter will be mostly about Nathan and Haley's different dates. **


End file.
